Who is your favorite cruise director?
- Thread starter Sal Magro
- Start date
Lee Your Cruise Director
New Member
You have fantastic taste sir! And I am very grateful.
Welcome aboard . I was wondering if you check back in could you take a moment and and reply to my previous comment on how I feel things have changed with your position on the bigger ships. It's always been about managing a staff and personality but now it seems it's just ALL about managing a staff.
Lee Your Cruise Director
New Member
Hey Bob
I have worked across 2 different lines and a real variety of ship sizes.
I’d agree that the role has changed and most definitely changes as your ships get bigger, because you are still just 1 person but have more guests to get around.
At CCL the role of CD was changed to give us more opportunity to be with our guests.
I can only talk for myself but I think there is a very delicate balance to be struck between not being overbearing and everywhere vs being accessible and seen. As far as needing to manage more - the CDs for us were freed from a lot of the previous meetings and clerical obligations when the role of Entertainment Director was introduced. As Cruise Director we now only directly manage the Fun Squad. Previously, CDs were responsible for overseeing the entire department. Which is still the case with other lines.
The good old days are referred to by many as being like the Wild West. Where people were able to be spontaneous and often took liberties with the entertainment. There wasn’t as much involvement from head office. Nowadays, with a focus on protecting the integrity of our guest experience and “product” ... quality control if you will - as well as minimizing risks of insult and injury. A lot of the entertainment is heavily prescribed and monitored. Perhaps the sense of personality you’re missing is a knock on from some of these measure. Though I am a firm believer that it is possible to perform within the current framework and still have a personality.
Thanks for getting back to us. Clarifies the position in my mind. The lines that I have sailed have stuck to the true and tried and the CD role has almost disappear due to the Managment/Supervisor roll now being played. I often use the example of a young CD on a two week Panama Cruise back in th day, that actually had a "Radio show" in that quiet hour or two between Sun/Sailaway/and Main seating. Played relaxing music into the rooms and chatted about stuff and had the odd guest. Just about everyone listened and knew him well enough to say Hi throughout the cruise. No time for something like that on a ship with 3000 guests. and anytime dining and all the rest of the stuff. Times change.
Hi Lee, So good to have you a member of the Cruise Addicts community. Thank you for joining! Excited to get back to cruising.
Very interesting, I knew the Entertainment Director was a new position but, I had never officially heard what they did. Sounds like a great move. I know for sometime many interviews with long time Cruise Director's was an exposé in how much a manager the position had become.
Here is a hidden gem of an interview with Carnival Cruise Director, Skip Lyons from 2013. I hope is doing well. I really enjoyed this interview and hope you will also.
